The Alaska State Troopers were notified of a Domestic Violence Assault that took place in Akutan on Sunday afternoon in the Aleutian Chain community of Akutan.

Troopers were unable to get to the isolated community either that Sunday or the following Monday. 

On Monday, June 16, another call went in to the troopers reporting that 27-year-old Joseph Bereskin Jr had assaulted another community member that day. It was also reported that Bereskin was possibly suicidal.

With that news, Alaska Wildlife Troopers, aboard the P/V Stimson responded to the community and took Bereskin into custody for a mental health evaluation.

Alaska State Troopers made it to the community on Tuesday to investigate the two incidents. Their investigation revealed that Bereskin had in fact assaulted another member of the community and had, in doing so, placed that person in fear. It was also found that by committing that offense, he had violated his probation.

Troopers arrested Bereskin on charges of Assault IV x2, Criminal Trespass II, and Contempt of COurt. Bereskin was transported to the Dutch Harbor Jail and remanded there. 

Authorities are continuing the investigation into Domestic Assault charges. Once their investigation is complete, the results will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s office in Anchorage for their review and possible prosecution.

Troopers state that alcohol played a factor in both incidents.

The community of Akutan, with its 1,027 summer occupants is situated on one of the Krenitzen Islands of the Fox Islands group and is 35 miles east of Dutch Harbor and 766 miles southwest of Anchorage. Akutan was established as a trading port in 1878 by the Western Fur and Trading Company and became the only whaling station in the Aleutians when the Pacific Whaling Company established a whale processing station across the bay from the village in 1912. There are only about 75 permanent residents in the community.

The residents of Akutan were evacuated from the community during WWII and taken to the southeast community of Ketchikan.  The community was re-established in 1944, but many of the original residents chose not to return.

Akutan is currently known for its fish processing and Trident Seafoods operates a large processing plant west of the community where cod, crab, pollock and other seafood is processed.

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